SUBJECT: ONLINE EXCERPTS FROM SAUCER SMEAR MAGAZINE FILE: UFO908 MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM SAUCER SMEAR ONLINE DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD "Dedicated to the Highest Principles of Ufological Journalism" SAUCER SMEAR Official Publication of the Saucer and Unexplained Celestial Events Research Society Non-scheduled Newsletter Editor and _Still_ Supreme Commander: James W. Moseley Mailing address for non-subscriptions: PO Box 1709 Key West, FL 33041 <<>> "Saucer Smear Online" is presented on Illumi-Net through the good graces of the editor and Supreme Commander, James W. Moseley. Any publication, reproduction, retransmission or rebroadcast of the material contained therein without the express written consent of Ashtar and the Earth Council will result in a visit by two men in black suits. We note with sadness the death of Jim Lorenzon, Director of APRO, as of August 28th. Jim was 64 years old, and had suffered from cancer for several years. We knew him only slightly. Better known to long-time ufologists was (and is) his colorful wife Coral, who founded APRO in 1952 - making this UFO organization the oldest in the United States - with the possible exception of the Borderland Sciences foundation of California. Coral is apparently in ill health, and the future of APRO has been in question for quite some time. The famed "APRO Bulletin" has appeared only irregularly in recent years, and the membership has been declining. We have noted in recent "Smear" issues the semi-mysterious disappearance of the SBI (Scientific Bureau of Investigation), headed by Pete Mazzola. NICAP of course is long gone; APRO is on its way out; and the SBI is now defunct -- leaving MUFON and CUFOS as the only major UFO groups in the country. We can't imagine that CUFOS will ever regain the prestige it enjoyed during the lifetime of its founder, Dr. J. Allen Hynek. Thus MUFON emerges as the largest and most active group still in existence. Your editor remains as MUFON State Section Director for Monroe County Florida -- hardly a post from which to seize power, but considerably better than nothing. Who, then, will be the next acknowledged spokesman for mainstream ufology -- as Major Keyhoe and Allen Hynek were in their respective eras? Having given the matter a lot of thought and spoken to a number of ufologists, we believe that the most logical candidate is Dr. Bruce Maccabee of the Fund for UFO research, presently based in suburban Washington, DC. Maccabee is young, academically qualified, articulate and avidly pro-UFO. He will be hosting next year's annual MUFON symposium, by the way. However when we phoned him recently to express our feelings about his competence to become the unofficial spokesman for ufology, his response was less than enthusiastic. He facetiously suggested Phil Klass as an alternative. If there is any point over-all to this editorial, it is to comment again on the sad state of ufology. On the positive side, we note several new computer-hookup type saucer groups emerging lately, and perhaps one of these will eventually make a worthwhile contribution to the field [hope so, Jim -- JS]. In the meanwhile, we can only sit back and hope that the saucers will somehow present themselves in new ways that are more convincing to the general public than they have been in the past. If something truly mysterious is going on in our skies, its high time we find out what it is! TID-BITS OF TRASH: Here's a truly Hot Flash: Famed author Bill Moore has written suggesting that Phil Klass retire from UFOlogy, "considering your (Klass') advancing age and your self-acknowledged mental impairments". Moore goes on to offer a donation of $100 toward a "gala Phil Klass Retires From Ufology" banquet. The amazing thing is that in his response to Moore, Klass has ACCEPTED the offer. Let's see what happens next as these two titans of the pen struggle in their efforts to outwit each other.... From Secret Sources we learn that Lt. Col. Wendelle Stevesm, his daughter, Bob Girard of Arcturus Books, and Lucius Farish of MUFON fame are all somehow involved in a forthcoming book called "UFO Contact from Beyond Rigel, Earth Survey". The book is said to contain 192 pages and sell for $14.95....From another Secret Source we have received information leading us to wonder if perhaps the above-mentioned Wendelle Stevens is now out of prison, even though his prescribed sentence couldn't possibly be up yet. Our staff is investigating this....In California, there is a new group appropriately called "California UFO", which has a hotline phone number (213-976-UFOS) where one can hear a recorded spiel about saucers, and get on a mailing list to receive their magazine. To subscribe to the zine, write: 1800 S. Robertson Blvd, #355, Los Angeles, CA, 90035. LETTERS TO SAUCER SMEAR ----------------------- Lee Spiegel, New York Radio and TV Personality, writes: ...Seriously, I admire your ongoing consiustency to keep us all informed (mostly about each other instead of the UFO subject itself). I continue to be amazed/amused by all the (un-named) personalities in the field who feel the continuing need to voice their "expert" opinions on matters in which they have no right to be considered experts. If UFOs are real, i. e. something outside of the knowledge of Science as we know it, then "expert" opinions by pseudo/amateur investigators will add nothing to enhancing that knowledge. Leave the guesswork, gossip and gossipers alone with their foolishness. I have great faith that truth and knowledge in this area will show itself someday. Skeptics and believers alike have much to learn about the subject and each other. Re the Randi controversy: If, as his critics claim, he is homosexual, since when has that caused a social stigma to be placed on an individual in today's world? An individual who, in this case, is doing terrific work in an area that needs real experts. To Randi's detractors: Leave your petty stuff somewhere else! And those are MY "expert" opinions! Jim Speiser, of ParaNet, writes: In the tradition of such groups as MSTOP, HSTOP, ASTOP, CSICOP and CO-RAP, I have decided to create an organization called "Federation of Arizonans for Rational Thought." Our purpose will be to sniff out pseudo-scientific claims and other unfounded beliefs that don't amount to a hill of beans. Across the Grand Canyon State we will blow our horns for reasoned thinking. Our first task will be to investigate the nature and behavior of swamp gas. I invite the readers of "Saucer Smear" to submit suggestions as to other projects we may take on in the future. Jim Speiser ********************************************** * THE U.F.O. BBS - http://www.ufobbs.com/ufo * **********************************************